Our History
Celebrating 50 years of investment innovation
Five decades of generating impact for clients
Fifty years ago, as a graduate student at Harvard College, Jim Bailey realized that what he was learning at the business school was not broadly being applied to how institutions ran their own finances.
So he and Hunter Lewis formally launched Cambridge Associates in June 1973, driven by a simple but revolutionary idea: build outperforming diversified investment portfolios to meet each client’s investment objectives and have a positive impact on the world.
While much has changed since that first idea, the driving mission of Cambridge Associates has remained.
Cambridge Associates’ First 50 Years
Our co-founder, Jim Bailey, and CEO, David Druley, discuss the early years of Cambridge Associates and what’s ahead.
Watch the video
Hear the story of how Cambridge Associates began working with private clients and family offices.
Watch the video
Learn why our co-founder was inspired to bring in female investment talent when the firm was first founded.
Commitment to long-term partnerships
While many things have changed over five decades, our guiding principle hasn’t. We strive to deliver investment outperformance and an exceptional client experience for every client, working diligently to ensure that we are doing our best to serve each client well and to earn their trust and satisfaction.
We believe that success is ultimately driven by a deep and trusting partnership between our clients and the team that serves them. That’s why we’re proud of the longstanding relationships we have built with both clients and colleagues.
*Not indicative of client satisfaction. Average annual retention rate is for the five years ending 12/31/2022.
Innovation Through The Years